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CLUB MED�S NEW PHILOSOPHY
Hurricane Wilma not only changed Club Med Cancun Yucatan�s appearance; it actually changed the philosophy of the entire company. Club Med has decided to shed its party reputation, and go from adult-only to family-friendly. Talk about a 180-degree turn! That�s why this re-opening party, with a weekend-long shindig for all the bigwigs and many VIPs (including the French ambassador to Mexico). Club Med even flew in the Moscow Circus, for private performances during and after the party.

CLUB MED CANCUN YUCATAN
Club Med was the very first hotel built in Cancun (1976). That explains why they have the best piece of property. Their 22 acres are located away from hotel row, so there are no hotels hovering nearby. Another huge plus is that the beach is protected by a breakwater, so the sand there is still the nice, fluffy kind.

FACTS: In 1976 Cancun had 18,000 residents. Today there are about 500,000. 8.5 million visitors pass through each year.

GOs
For the event I was allowed to bring a guest. I don�t have a girlfriend, so I decided to bring my sister Carol. She needed a vacation from chasing her kids around; besides, she�s a lot of fun to travel with. When our van pulled up the driveway, a mariachi band dressed in traditional white outfits welcomed us. Inside the colorful pink lobby an army of young, beautiful GOs greeted us with more refreshing towels, and a drink. (GO is the name for Club Med workers. It is short for gentils organisateurs.) Their ages range from about 18 to 45, but most are in their early 20s. After getting to know a few of them, and learning about their jobs (including that they eat all their meals in the main dining room with guests, and they switch among Club Med�s 80 resorts every six months to keep fresh), I can�t imagine a better job right out of college. I wish I had done it for a few years. Most of Cancun�s 130 GOs speak several languages. You can find out who speaks what by checking out the flags on their badges. The upper left flag indicates the country they�re from; the others depict the languages they speak. These guys and gals come from all over the world. To be a GO, you definitely have to be a "people person." From the looks of them; you also must be beautiful.

FYI: In the old days GOs were encouraged to fool around with guests. That�s not the case any more (though it is allowed -- or so I hear).

MORE CLUB MED TERMINOLGOY: Guests are referred to as GMs gentils members, while the general manager is called the "Chef de Village."

CLUB MED CANCUN YUCATAN
After check-in we were off to our rooms. On the way there I was mesmerized by the vibrant, warm (76-81 degrees Fahrenheit � year-round) blue water, and bright white soft sand. I could hardly wait to change into my bathing suit and jump in. When I passed all the beautiful women in their bikinis, I picked up the pace.

ROOMS
There are 384 rooms and 18 suites, in several buildings. I did not expect much, after hearing from a friend that Club Med�s rooms are just a step above college dorms. Fortunately, that�s no longer the case. When I opened the door I was shocked at how plush they were. All the rooms have been enlarged and redesigned. They are now colorful and spacious, with new bedding, a flat screen TV, air conditioning, telephone, clock/radio, mini-bar, a safe, toiletries, and a balcony or terrace. There�s also a desk. If you bring a blue ethernet cord you can plug it into the wall for free high- speed access. To get high-speed otherwise, you have to schlep your laptop to the lobby.

COOL KEYS: You don�t need to physically stick the key card in the door. Just wave it in front of the handle, and voila!

JADE VILLA SUITES
If you splurge a few extra hundred dollars a night for one of the 18 suites, amenities include private car transfer, welcome bottle of tequila, fresh flowers, in-room computer, free mini-bar, room service and free laundry.

DINING
There are three restaurants four bar/lounges in the Club Med village. Club Med is all-inclusive, so all food and drinks (including alcohol) are � well, included. This counts for the night club too -- except for some luxury spirits and premium brands. With the all-inclusive policy you would think the cuisine would not be too good, but that�s not true at all. The food is tasty, and there�s something for everyone. I ate all my meals in La Hacienda (the main dining restaurant), where six differently designed rooms -- each with the atmosphere of a colonial-style manor house � are centered around a large buffet with a variety of food stations. There are many different breakfast, lunch and dinner choices. There�s a bread station, fresh fruit, made-to-order eggs and omelets, cereal, pancakes, salad bar, pasta bar, pizza, hamburgers, turkey, seafood, frog legs � you name it. There are vegetarian dishes, healthy options, and the total opposite. My favorites were the Mexican dishes -- and don�t even get me started on the desserts, which were ridiculously good. Of course, I had to sample all of them.

WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD
One of Club Med�s signature treats is white chocolate bread -- a French baguette with little pieces of white chocolate baked inside. Here�s the recipe I found online:

White Chocolate Bread Recipe
1kg (2.2lb) flour
10gr (1 tsp) yeast
10gr (1 tsp) sugar
20gr (2 tsp) salt
600ml (2.5 cups) water
600ml (2.5 cups) white chocolate chips
Mix the flour, yeast and sugar with the water for 15 minutes.
Add the salt and mix again for 5 minutes.
Add the white chocolate chips and mix again for 5 minutes.
Bake at 160 C (320 F) degrees for 20 minutes (baking time should not exceed 25 minutes).

KIDS' PROGRAMS
Kids will definitely dig the cooking because they offer hamburgers, pizza, french fries, and everything else kids love. There is even baby chow available 24 hours a day in the main restaurant (along with baby chairs, baby bottle warmers and a microwave). Over 100 rooms have connecting doors, so families can stay together. Guests with babies get priority for a ground floor room, which can be baby-proofed for free. Inside will be a crib, baby bathtub and baby toilet. Baby strollers are also included in the price. Babysitting is $15 for the first four hours, and $10 an hour thereafter. Kids� programs are free, and there�s a new mini-club for 4-to-10-year-olds. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. After a 90-minute break it starts up again, from 7 to 9 p.m. A junior program for 11-to-17-year-olds makes it easy for them to find friends. They can partake in all resort activities including discovery trips to archeological sites.

ACTIVITIES
I enjoy staying at a Club Med because there�s so much to do. Activities include basketball, beach volleyball, kayaking, snorkeling, tennis, wakeboarding, water-skiing (watch out for alligators in the bay), sailing, windsurfing, dance class, petanque (lawn bowling), table tennis, billiards, and the circus (more on that in a minute). There�s also a state-of-the-art weight room and fitness studio, offering daily yoga and Pilates classes. If you want more, fishing, golfing, horseback riding, four-wheeling, parasailing and jet skiing can all be arranged for a fee (they take place outside the Club Med property).

THE CIRCUS
The resort has eight hard surface tennis courts. To work off all the delicious grub Carol and I challenged new Brazilian friends we met at the pool bar to a game. They couldn�t have been nicer or more beautiful, but we beat them. (We come from a competitive family.) The highlight of my trip was the circus. I was sitting on my balcony when I saw people across the lagoon swinging on a trapeze. I have always wanted to try that, even though I�m afraid of heights. I walked over to find out how to sign up for the course -- and the next thing I knew a GO was putting a safety belt around my waist. After two minutes of instruction, I was climbing a narrow 25-foot ladder. It was nerve-racking, to say the least. Stepping over to the platform was even more terrifying. I could hardly keep my knees from shaking. I told myself I couldn�t do it � not even the second step, which is hanging by your knees. But the five GOs running the show were so nice and supportive that they helped me (and everyone else) conquer our fears. I tried again. I was able to lock my knees, then do a flip off the trapeze. The goal was to "make the catch," which entailed swinging from one bar to another. The circus brought out the kid in me. Be sure to watch the video below, to see if I was able to make the elusive catch.

MAYAN RUINS
You can�t go to the "Mayan Riviera" for your first time and not see a Mayan ruin. The most famous is Chichen Itza, but it�s 149 miles away from Cancun. Tulum is probably the second most popular. It�s supposed to be amazing, because it�s on the water, but it is 80 miles away. I chose El Meco. One reason is because it�s only a 45 minute drive; another is that Club Med offers a free excursion there to all guests.



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